1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for providing access to a data stream by a plurality of users at a same time. In particular, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for data stream splitter management for multiplexing access by a plurality of users to the same data stream.
2. Description of Related Art
Presently, in distributed data processing systems, when a user is involved in a session making use of system resources, the session is typically set up so that a single user has access to the system resource during the session. Thus, only a single user is able to make use of the system resource until the session is completed and the system resource is released for use by another user.
Recently, systems have been devised for allowing multiple users to monitor the status of a system resource in a single session. Typically, in these systems, one user has full access to the system resources and is provided with the ability to use and/or modify these system resources. The other uses involved in the session act as observers only and are not provided with full access to the system resources.
In either of the above systems, a problem arises if a first user wishes to share modifications to a system resource with a second user, and the second user wishes to share modifications with the first user. Each user must gain access to the system resource, make their modifications, release access to the system resource and then allow the other user to gain access and make their modifications. The first user must then re-access the system resource to inspect the modifications of the second user. There is no mechanism by which both users can have full access to the system resource at approximately the same time.
Thus, it would be beneficial to have an apparatus and method whereby a plurality of users are provided full access to the same system resource in a same session at approximately a same time and be able to share the results of each user's access to the system resource with other users in the session.